American website for funding creative, business, and social projects launches in Brazil.
When You Wish is a leading Internet “crowdfunding” startup that combines payment processing and publishing tools so everyone can easily raise money online for their ideas or causes. “There are 200 million people in Brazil including a fast growing middle class. I’ve spent a good deal of my life in Brazil, and I can tell you the dream of starting up a business or funding a creative pursuit is just as potent there as it is here in the U.S.”, says Dave Harvilicz, co-founder and CEO of When You Wish. That notion has been validated by the recent flood of Brazilian media attention garnered by the site in such high-profile publications as G1, Exame.com, Isto é Dinheiro and Jornal O Globo.
Crowdfunding is revolutionizing fundraising in America by successfully funding everything from Sundance film festival movies to the production of must-have smartphone accessories. When You Wish has championed a concept it has coined “Indie Capitalism.” Both When You Wish and the people who use the site to raise money are betting on duplicating that success in Brazil. For example, Diego Porqueras raised over $160,000 in his American crowdfunding campaign for his open-source desktop 3D printer called Bukobot. While there are several desktop 3D printers available in the U.S., when it launches on When You Wish Brasil, Bukobot will be the first desktop 3D printer to be available to Brazilians.
According to Gartner, the crowdfunding industry is expected to raise over $6.2 billion in 2013. When You Wish hopes to become the leading solution for crowdfunding in Brazil, by offering unique features not found on any other crowdfunding website. They’ve hired Rafael Chaves as Brazil country manager. “It’s an amazing platform. Not only can you donate cash to a project you can also contribute goods or services. It’s a game changer for artists, entrepreneurs, social activists, or anyone else that does fundraising,” adds Chaves.